South Island Relics
by Jay-with-Splice
Summary: Langley's relics are priceless, not to mention one of the hardest things to steal from him. But that doesn't stop a certain Jason Brody from trying. Especially when he's wanting to gain the trust of a Privateer named McDuvan.


Hoyt's island may have been small, but jesus christ, Jason had never seen so many men, so many enemies in one place at once. The Warrior had barely managed to obtain the uniform and he calmly got to witness Hoyt's welcoming speech to the new recruits first hand. Now, all he had to do was get on the big bad boss' good side and kill him.

When he had left the cave, a Privateer had approached him and told Jason to follow him to a nearby camp. As they approached, no one turned any guns on him, hell, he couldn't really see anyone else here. Jason didn't know whether or not this would be easy to liberate...there were always men around every corner here in this new, unfamiliar territory. All he knew is that this place he was taken to was called 'Bridge Control'.

"Do you think you're up to the challenge, Foster?" The other Privateer's brow rose at Jason, the disguised male giving him a confused look as they passed by a small group people dressed in red. "You weren't even listening." The man growled the words and shook his head at him. "You see those fucking pirates there? In the red shirts and camo pants?" He raised his hand and pointed to the bunch of pirates, which was the blotch of red Jason had seen earlier. "You see...after Brody killed Vaas, Hoyt took it upon himself to ah...take in Vaas' best men..." He once again gestured to the group. "There's this one..whose thin as hell..." The Privateer shook his head in an annoyed, angry way.

"That fucker collects old shit...like...relics and fuck is it annoying!" He lowered his hand, only to angrily knock something off a fold-up table as they continued to move, heading in the direction of the building located in the center of the base. "And when the guy's doing his work, those other pirate fucks go and try to gather more of those ugly things for him..." Jason was boredly listening to this Privateer's rant, proud of himself that he managed to keep a slightly interested look on his face. "I don't want him seeing you swipe them..." Wait what? "...I'll get him to come down, then you just take them and burn them. And if he catches you..." Jason's eyes caught the name stitched onto the name plate. McDuvan. "Don't you dare open your mouth..."

"First of all, why the hell do you want them destroyed? They're relics...they can hold supernatural powers and curse the one who damned them." That earned Jason a strange look from the man. "I'm just saying...yeah I'll do it..." The look turned to a smirk. "Wait right fuckin' here." The Privateer began to move, and Jason chose to keep his eyes off the small group of pirates in case he had ran into them before on the main land. Not too long later, down came McDuvan and...

Jason's eyes widened and his gaze immediately went to the ground. What?! Jason thought he fucking killed him! The warrior recalled putting a bullet through the man's head when he was at the compound going after Vaas. His eyes flicked up briefly for another look. Shit. It really was him. Langley was alive. The usually drugged pirate was still dressed in his usual attire, except for the added bandages around his skull where Jason had shot a bullet through. Jason unfortunately couldn't steal the relic from the pirate's hands. It was a Heron relic Langley held and the eyes were a strange jade colored stone. McDuvan's dark eyes met his and Jason grumbled something beneath his breath, moving forward and keeping silent as he walked.

Jason moved up the stairs and paused as a familiar German Shepard trotted right past him, a bloody bone in her maw. She paid him no mind, but she stopped briefly to smell at the air, before picking up her pace to follow her master when Langley whistled for her. Across the platform, and Jason pushed open the door and was greeted to the sight of seven relics aligned neatly on a table in the middle of the room. A low whistle and Jason approached, his hand closed around a Spider relic and he couldn't help but admire the beauty and craftsmanship. "Christ..." The other relics consisted of another Heron, two Sharks, two Spiders, including the one he was holding, and two Boars. Jason placed the relic back on the table, making a light face and going into his thoughts. Usually, the relics he had found had golden eyes, not these strange colors of reds and blues.

Jason finally took up one in each hand again, glancing between the two. He'd better hurry. He didn't know how much time he had. The two relics were stuffed into his bag and just as he reached for another, he felt the cold steel of a machete blade press against the side of his throat. "Well now..." Langley's strange sounding voice filled his ears. "Ya know...usually people who try ta steal mah babies get killed inna instant." Jason could hear the man grin. "But I don't do that until I see the man's face as I kill them..." A hand caught his hair and yanked his head backwards. A dark chuckle. "Well...if it aint Jason bloody Brody himself..."

Shit...shit, shit, shit.

"Ya know...I never really repaid ya for that bullet wound ya tried to put through my head..." A small, round bullet was balanced on top of Jason's forehead, the Warrior could see a shit eating grin on Langley's face. "Be a dear and set my fucking relics back in their place..." Jason's hand moved, setting the two relics back on the table beside the others. "Now...tell me...who put you up to this? If you tell me, I'll consider not ending your life." A swallow, the muscle against the machete flexed a bit with the movement and the blade dug just barely into his neck. "Come now...surely you would know..."

"McDuvan..." He said the name bluntly and a tad bit too quickly. Jason may have been a snitch here, but he wasn't at all scared of what the man would have threatened to do to him if he told. All he cared about was his own life. He had a mission to do, he had a crazed businessman to kill. The hand released his hair and Jason's head snapped forward, the bullet jumped off his forehead and landed on the floor a ways away. "I shoulda known..." He heard the man hum to himself. When he turned his head in Langley's direction, he saw the pirate idly tapping the machete he held against his own chin. "Fucker always hated my babies..." The machete was sheathed, his shoulders popped, and Langley turned to face him, wearing that same damned grin.

"Listen buttercup..." Langley started, addressing Jason. "I won't kill you...nor tell Hoyt that I had seen you." A light breath of relief. "But first...you gotta help me with somethin..." Jason made a face at the other, but nodded. So much for trying to gain the trust of McDuvan. Although, he supposed a pirate he shot point blank in the brain and lived to tell the tale would have been a better person to help. He grit his teeth together, grumbling softly. "Fine...fine...what do you have in mind...?" The growing grin on Langley's face did not make Jason feel at all comfortable with the situation.  
"McDovan hates my relics...and who knows how many other old historic monuments of these islands..." Jason watched, with a glare, as Langley strut back and forth in the room, thinking over his diabolical plan in his head. He hadn't the foggiest idea as to why Langley didn't just storm outside right now and murder the man for trying to get rid of his relics. Perhaps...he wanted him to learn a lesson? "Why don't we treat him...first hand at seeing the...beauty of fallen monuments of history?" Jason saw the pirate pat his pants' pocket and move towards the door.

Upon it opening, the demon dog, Lassie all but launched herself inside, snuffling at the ground and demanding why she hadn't been allowed inside immediately. She paid no mind to the Warrior, she was too busy barking and howling. Langley's hand closed around her muzzle, keeping her jaws together. "Listen darlin Lassie..." The pirate was cooing at the dog. "I need you to do something for me, lovey..." Her ears perked in a way that almost made Jason think she was actually listening to what her master had to say. "I'm gonna need ya to take that god awful watch McDuvan always has on him...follow the scent me and...Foster leaves..." The temporary name caused Jason to stare at the usuallly drugged pirate strangely.  
Langley's hands were removed from Lassie's muzzle, moving to an alarm clock on the shelf and setting it to a certain time. "When this goes off, Lassie darlin...be the little thief you are." He placed the clock on the table and scooped up all his relics, shoving them into his duffel bag and heading for the door. "Let's hurry, _Foster_." Emphasis was put on the name and Jason shook his head at the man and followed. What had he just gotten himself into?

The brunette followed the mohawked man outside and down the stairs. He didn't bother to make eye-contact with the few pirates that let their gazes wander over to the pair. None of them spoke. McDuvan was trying to get three flea-bitten mutts off him, a Greyhound, a Pitbull, and a Bulldog. They appeared to be distracting him, although the plate of food in his hands suggested they just wanted to steal it. Langley led them to a Jeep, the thin man sliding in and patting the passenger seat with a bandaged hand. Begrudgingly, he climbed into the lumpy, uncomfortable seat. "Just so you know, Buttercup...I'm a terrible driver."

"Wait, wha-" The exclaim was cut short as Langley's foot smashed into the gas pedal, rocketing the jeep forward faster than Jason's ever seen. The brunette's hands immediately went to the railing, holding tightly as Langley drove the jeep harshly over the rough terrain. He swore to whatever entity existed that they were sent airborne upon going over a few large hills. "Slow down!" Jason hissed at the pirate, whom seemed calm as he sped along. Still, that same sly grin was across his face. "Now, now...don't distract the driver." Langley chastised, pulling his eyes off the 'road' to stare at Jason...just as they drove off the side of a tall cliff.

Now, Jason has faced many things on these god-forsaken islands. Homicidal Pirates, animal-attacks, drugs, fires raging around him. But there was still one thing he couldn't ever get over. Suddenly finding himself fighting to not fall over the edge of a cliff. The Wingsuit that Willus had given him had greatly helped him with this constant fear, but right at this moment, he and the crazed drug-addicted pirate were careening towards the ground. The wheels caught on branches of trees, snapping them off cleanly. There was a loud thump!, both men moved with the crash; Jason saw smoke begin to pillow out of the engine, but Langley didn't stop, the wheels continued to turn as the Jeep forced its way up another mountain.

Finally they came to a stop.

Langley turned the vehicle off, sliding out of the seat and tapping Jason on the side of his head. "Comin' Foster?" That same emphasized name and Jason willed himself to get out of the Jeep. Ahead of them was a large batch of plant-life and upon closer inspection, he could see a hole in the ground leading into a dark cavern. "Huh..." Jason retrieved his map and gave it a once-over. They weren't all that far from Bridge Control and as he stuffed it back into his bag, he glanced to the pirate, whom was leaning against the Jeep with a cigar in his mouth. His eyes were glued to the watch on his arm. "Should be soon now..."

"how'd you survive?" Jason once again was blunt, drawing Langley's eyes to his. "I shot you right in the skull and here you are...moving, talking, smoking." The pirate shook his head at the other, tapping his own temple with a finger. "Now if I tell you that..." He bit into his cigar, keeping it in his mouth, "...what fun would it be...? A Magician never reveals his secrets." Another check of his watch and he pushed off the Jeep, moving towards the pit casually and retrieving a small pack of white powder from his pocket. From all the drugs he's been under and seen, Jason knew that it definitely wasn't cocaine. Then Langley began to whistle a soft tune that resembled "Hot Mess" by Cobra Starship. The pouch was opened and the smell hit Jason like a stack of bricks.

"Fuck, what is that shit?" Jason asked, waving his hand through to the air, as if to dispel the strong scent. Langley glanced back at him, already his eyes were dilated. "This...?" The powder was pinched between two fingers and rubbed together until nothing was left. "Prototype drugs Vaas was working with..." The bag was tipped over into his other palm as he continued, "...Didn't work out too well...it was fine at first...but the illusions it caused backfired on the testers and they were subjected to horrible nightmares..." More chuckles, followed by the sound of excited barks.

"Here he comes..." Langley moved back over to the Jeep, leaning against the frame casually. Jason sat in front of the bushes, watching as Lassie came into view, a watch clamped firmly in her mouth. He still found it hard to believe that the German Shepard understood what Langley had told her. "Give that back ya mangy beast!" McDuvan's voice was loud and angry as he charged up the hill after the Shepard. Lassie bounced around on the top beside the Jeep. McDuvan ran up to the hound, taking a firm hold on the loose chain collar around her neck and removing the watch from her jaws.  
"McDuvan!" Langley made himself known, walking towards the man and resting a hand on his shoulder and leaning close, the cigar smoke causing McDuvan's nose to wrinkle. "Fancy tha'!" His accent began to become more pronounced as he spoke. "Glad you could come, glad you could come!" Jason gave a bored huff and McDuvan's eyes fell on him. "Foster?" Jason merely shrugged his shoulders and was taken by surprise when the hand holding the drugs came up and smacked right into McDuvan's face and nose. There was a loud yell of shock and Langley's foot came up, kicking the man right in the chest, and making him tip over backwards...

Falling right into the pit.

Jason slid to his feet slowly, Langley slipping over the edge, catching hold of some vines and sliding down halfway. Jason was watching from up top, staring into the pit. He heard a splash as McDuvan hit the water, followed by more splashing as he resurfaced and fought to stay above the water. "That was quite sudden..." Jason demanded when Langley climbed back up, hauling himself over the ledge and cackling down at the screaming, angry man fighting to get himself out of the water and back onto land. "Shhhh..." Langley tapped Jason's forehead and he whistled to Lassie. "Thanks for comin along for the ride, Foster. I can give ya a ride back to Bridge Control if you'd like?"

Jason glanced at the pirate as he whipped out a Repair Tool from the trunk, popping the hood and beginning to work on the engine. "Is there even a way out of there...?" Jason jerked his thumb over his shoulder, earning himself a loud bout of laughter from the much thinner man. "Yeah...he could climb up the vine...and then there's a walkout escape in the side of the cliff..." Shutting the hood, he shoved the Repair Tool back into the trunk. Lassie lept into the back seat, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she panted heavily in the thick humid weather. Jason made an annoyed noise, moving over to the Jeep and climbing into the passenger's seat, settling down and nearly gagging when the German Shepard panted foul-smelling breath in his face. He turned his nose away.

"So what does this mean now? Am I forever allowed in Bridge Control or what? Do only the pirates look after the place? Have I even ran into any of them that will recognize me?" Langley shrugged his shoulders and before he started driving, he glanced at Jason. "Have you ran into a Molotov pirate named Lewis? Ugly as fuck and missin' teef?" Jason gave a small nod, remembering once as the forest was nearly incinerated to ashes when he was being chased by the man in question. Langley started up the vehicle and began to make their way back to camp, Jason clinging on for dear life as the pirate drove, nearly sinking the Jeep in a river and running over animals left and right.  
"Don't worry mate...I'll talk to them."


End file.
